Brown seaweed Fucus virsoides (J. Agardh) is an endemic alga of the Adriatic Sea, that inhabits the tidal zone. Due to constant changes in its environment, Fucus virsoides had to adapt to the extreme conditions. Aim of this research was to determine concentrations of photosynthetic pigments, phenolic compounds and lipid peroxides in algae that were exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light, desiccation, or both, and to find out if there was a difference in physiological adaptations to different stressors. Concentrations of photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a, carotenoids and fucoxanthin) were the highest in the morning and evening, when the intensities of the UV and visible light were lower, while the concentrations were lower during the midday. Since there was no increase in the concentration of lipid peroxides, which would indicate oxidative damage, it can be concluded that changes in pigments concentrations are not just a consequence, but can contribute to adaptation of Fucus virsoides to high light intensity. UV light did not induce accumulation of phlorotannins and flavonoids, which suggests that these two groups of compounds do not protect seaweed from UV significantly. Higher concentration of lipid peroxides, indicating oxidative stress, occurred after longer exposure of algae to dryness, which shows that Fucus virsoides is less adapted to desiccation. Concentrations of carotenoides and fucoxanthin also increased during desiccation stress, which suggests that they could have a protective role.